Capacity Building workshop for Latin America onthe restoration of forest and other ecosystems tosuppport achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity

Targets

Bogotá, ColombiaApril 4-8, 2016

IPBES and the Thematic Assessment onLand Degradation and Restoration.

Outline

1. Introduction to IPBES (item 1)Organisation of IPBES

The 4 functions

The 1st Programme of Work (2014-2018)

2. The thematic assessment on land degradation

and restoration

What is IPBES?

• Intergovernmental Platform on

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

• Overall objective: To provide policy

relevant knowledge on biodiversity and

ecosystem services to inform decision

making

• Established in April 2012, Panama

• 124 Members

• Secretariat hosted in Bonn

How is IPBES organised?

Secretariat (including Technical Support Units)

Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP)

Responsible for carrying out the scientific and technicalfunctions of the work programme,

Bureau

Responsible for overseeing the administrativefunctions of IPBES

Plenary: Decision-making body

Responsible for the overall work programme, working through Bureau and MEP

Task forces on capacity-building,

knowledge and data, and indigenous

and local knowledge

Expert groups for assessments,

policy support tools and other studies

The Functions of IPBESIPBES was established with four agreed functions:

• Knowledge generation

Identify knowledge needs of policymakers, and catalyse efforts to generate new knowledge

• AssessmentDeliver global, regional and thematic assessments, and promote and catalyse support for sub-global assessment

• Policy support tools

Identify policy relevant tools/methodologies, facilitate their use, and promote and catalyse their further development

• Capacity building

Prioritize key capacity building needs, and provide and call for financial and other support for priority needs

Structure of the Work Programme

Objective 1: Strengthen the capacity and knowledge foundations of

the science-policy interface to implement key IPBES functions

Objective 2: Strengthen the

science-policy interface on

biodiversity and ecosystem

services at and across the

sub-regional, regional and

global levels

Objective 3: Strengthen

the knowledge-policy

interface with regard to

thematic and

methodological issues

Objective 4: Communicate and evaluate

IPBES activities, deliverables and findings

4 objectives and 18 deliverables

Objective 4 Communicate and evaluate Platform activities, deliverables and findings:

a) Catalogue of relevant assessments

b) Development of an information and data management plan

c) Catalogue of policy support tools and methodologies

d) Set of communication, outreach and engagement strategies, products and processes

e) Reviews of the effectiveness of guidance, procedures, methods and approaches to inform future development of the Platform

Objective 1 Strengthen the capacity and knowledge foundations of the science-policy interface to implement key functions of the Platform:

a) Priority capacity-building-needs to implement the Platform work programme are matched with resources through catalysing financial and in-kind support

b) Capacities needed to implement the Platform work programme are developed with support provided by network on capacity-building c) Procedures and approaches for working with indigenous and local knowledge systems d) Priority knowledge and data needs for policy-making are addressed through catalysing efforts to generate new knowledge and networking

Objective 2 Strengthen the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services at and across the subregional, regional and global levels:

a) Guide on production and integration of assessments from and across all scales

b) Regional/Subregional assessments on biodiversity and ecosystem services

c) Global assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services

Objective 3 Strengthen the science-policy interface with regard to thematic and methodological issues:

a) Thematic assessment on pollination and food production

b) Thematic assessments on land degradation and restoration; on invasive alien species; and on sustainable use.

c) Policy support tools and methodologies for scenarios analysis and modelling of biodiversity and ecosystem services based on an assessment and a guide

d) Policy support tools and methodologies regarding value, valuation and accounting of biodiversity and ecosystem services based on an assessment and a guide

The thematic assessment on Land Degradation and Restoration (LDR)

• The assessment of LDR is to cover the global status of and trends in landdegradation, by region and land cover type; the effect of degradation onbiodiversity values, ecosystem services and human well-being; and the state ofknowledge, by region and land cover type, of ecosystem restoration extent andoptions. The assessment would enhance the knowledge base for policies foraddressing land degradation, desertification and the restoration of degradedland.

• A workshop was held to develop the scope of the land degradation andrestoration assessment in September 2015, in Beijing, China. Experts of thisscoping workshop further developed the scope of the land degradation andrestoration assessments.

• In January 2015 the third session of the Plenary approved the launch of theland degradation and restoration assessment together with an agreed scope.

• The assessment is composed by 96 experts• The technicall support unit (TSU) was established in 2015 and is hosted by the

IPBES Secretariat in Bonn, Germany

The thematic assessment on Land Degradation and Restoration (LDR)

What makes an effective assessment?

Legitimacy

Credibility

Relevance

The thematic assessment on Land Degradation and Restoration (LDR)

CHAPTER OUTLINE:

- Chapter 1: will focus on assessing and comparing differing concepts and perceptions of land degradation andrestoration, stemming from both western science and indigenous and local knowledge.- Chapter 2: will assess how land degradation is the result of multiple drivers, involving both direct anthropogenicand natural factors and interactions between them, as well as underlying indirect drivers.- Chapter 3: will focus on the status and trends of land degradation in terms of the loss or decline in biodiversityand ecosystem functioning, as well as the degradation processes that result in these changes.- Chapter 4: will focus on the loss or impairment of nature’s benefits to people, and the resultant impacts onquality of life.- Chapter 5: will develop a framework to assess the effectiveness of existing interventions to prevent, halt, reduceand mitigate the processes of land degradation and to rehabilitate and restore degraded land through therecovery of biodiversity, ecosystem structure and functioning and their benefits to people- Chapter 6: will consolidate and rationalize information necessary to support evidence-based decision-makingand institution-building for policy makers and practitioners responsible for selecting and implementing strategiesto address land degradation problems- Chapter 7: will explore the implications of a range of plausible development scenarios, including the adoption ofdifferent response options, and their implications for land degradation globally, including impacts on human well-being and the potential for successfully restoring degraded lands and associated freshwater and coastal systems

The thematic assessment on Land Degradation and Restoration (LDR) and the Regional Assessments on

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

The Plenary requested to have a coordinated approach between the regional assessments and the thematic assessments

land degradation (starting);

and soon invasive species; and sustainable use of biodiversity

In order to implement this decision, experts of these 3 themes will be involved in the chapters of the regional assessment.

2 experts per theme (total of 6 for each region) will also be involved as LAs in the thematic assessments; we call these individuals Liaison Experts.

The LDR Assessment and the Regional Assessments are expected to be approved at the 6th IPBES Plenary Session in 2018.

THANK YOU!